Back to Samoens and then south to live the high life near Saint Tropez

Last year we decided we wanted to return to Samoens to do some more hiking ( limited last year by me having a nasty cold). Unbelievably I came down with a cold again. I am not tempting fate by returning next year. We managed some smaller walks, some good restaurant meals and not much else.

We were due to head south to our last stop near Alès to clean up the van before putting it into storage near Arles. But temperatures had climbed to around 40 degrees in the south and we felt it was better to stay put in Samoens for an extra day where the temperature was a more tolerable 29-30 degrees.

When we did drive down south, we could only sort out and clean up the van for a few hours in the early morning before it was too hot and we retreated to the swimming pool alternated with sitting in as much shade as we could find. 

With the van in storage we drove the 200 km in Twiggy to our friends Guy and Sue who were staying in the hills north of Saint Tropez. And enjoyed several days of a total contrast in lifestyle. 

Dinner at the local small town of Grimaud on festival night was a lot of fun. I had a very close encounter with these scary individuals. At one point I disappeared from sight completely!

We spent a relaxing day on the water including a good lunch at Club Tahiti one of about 36 beach clubs along Pempelonne Beach near Saint Tropez. So many super yachts anchored along the beach, doing what one guesses that people on super yachts do a lot of, drinking and eating. You get picked up and taken ashore on a tender associated with the beach club you are going to.

Our travels in Europe this year are now finished, sadly –  after a few days in London to see Anna and a short mother/daughter break in Biarritz, it is time to head home. Next year our plans include Spain and we don’t know what else yet – but that is half the fun of travelling in a camper van. Plans change and you can take advantage of opportunities that present themselves along the way. We have loved the time we have spent in the mountains and I am sure they will figure prominently in next year’s trip – they are also a good place to retreat to when the temperatures climb and the popular holiday areas get crowded. 

To be continued next year ……..